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Santa Cruz County Water Articles



San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
Update: Boulder Creek Water Main Break

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District is working on multiple water main joint failures in downtown Boulder Creek. According to Garrett, a supervisor on site, the initial break occurred at Highway 9 and Lomond Street, near the SLVWD facilities. Garrett …

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo LOCAL NEWS
Science Spotlight: Why Do Humpbacks Breach?

More than 40 feet long and weighing up to 40 tons, adult humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are formidable giants. But their immensity doesn’t hinder their athleticism.

Hilltromper Silicon Valley logo LOCAL NEWS
Peak Whale Watching in Northern California Can Be Now

Humpback whales return to our waters just in time for Earth Day and WhaleFest in Pacifica, while whale watchers in Monterey Bay are seeing cetaceans in droves.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
AmeriCorps Team Improves San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat

An AmeriCorps team led by San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat Restoration Program founder and advisor Linda Skeff weeded invasive plants from the native plant demonstration beds at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum Grace Gallery in Boulder Creek on a rainy …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Pain and Progress in Pajaro

Tarmo Hannula and Todd Guild contributed to this story

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
Water Main Flushing Occurs This Spring in San Lorenzo Valley

San Lorenzo Valley Water District staff will begin flushing water mains in the San Lorenzo Valley in March, part of regular system maintenance.

CalMatters logo STATE NEWS
California Agrees to Long-Term Cuts of Colorado River Water

California, Arizona and Nevada would cut their allocations about 20% when reservoir levels drop. But other states have their own more aggressive plan. Now the federal government has to decide how to manage the drought-plagued river.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
SLV Water District Board Approves Rate Increase

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors voted 4-1 to approve a proposed rate increase. The vote was taken at the District’s regular board meeting on Thursday, February 15, 2024. New rates will take effect on March 1, …

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
Big Basin Water Secures $850,000 Grant

Serviam by Wright LLP, the court-appointed receiver to Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) has secured an $850,000 state grant from the California Department of Water Resources’ Small Community Drought Relief Program. The funding has been awarded to help assure access …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Recent storms top $2.8 million in damage on Santa Cruz County coast

Storm surf damaged a staircase west of the Capitola Wharf again in late December. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local) 
SANTA CRUZ >> Huge surf and storm surges pummeled Santa Cruz County in late December, leaving at least $2.8 million …

Image caption: The legislature's own analysts blasted new state water conservation rules as too strict and largely unjustified.
California’s New Water-Saving Regs Lack 'Compelling Justifications'

Even though California faces serious water shortages, the Legislature’s analysts recommend weaker outdoor conservation requirements and longer deadlines for urban water agencies.

Image caption: Ocean waves may be good for more than surfing. They may play a role in reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions.
California Looks to Ocean Waves For New Clean Energy Source

Only a few small demonstration projects off the West Coast have harnessed the power of waves and tides. Costs are high and hurdles are challenging.

Image caption: A definitive federal report says California’s economy suffers more than almost all states from the effects of climate change.
California Among Top 5 Worst Climate Change States, Report Says

California ranks among the top states suffering economic damage from climate-related disasters. The report describes food shortages, floods, droughts, wildfires, pollution, disease—all linked to climate change.

Featured

The city of Santa Cruz gets just over 20 percent of its water from Loch Lomond in the mountain community of Lompico.
Where’s Our Water?
Santa Cruz is one of the few California communities that receive 100 percent of its water from local rainfall.
In Santa Cruz County, 10 separate entities manage the water supply.
Santa Cruz County Water, Explained
Santa Cruz County's water system is run by a decentralized collection of entities.
Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think
Recent torrential rains have helped, but California's drought is a long way from over.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
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